A Classy Act(or)/Dancer

Fred Astaire - now there, folks, was a classy guy with soul. Do you remember that scene from "The Band Wagon"; the one in which he and the Cyd Charisse character first danced together? It was back when they were walking through the park and found that open area....Yeah, well, get this. During that same scene, director, Vincente Minnelli, noticed that Fred was struggling (emotionally) with a certain move. When he asked him what was wrong, Mr. Astaire responded by saying, "I can't do it that way. I did it that way with Ginger in 1941." When Mr. Minnelli responded to that with, "Fred, it's just a little move. Nobody'll notice", Astaire persisted, "No, I've got to do it a little bit different." And, so he did, preserving that old memory with Ginger and, yes, creating an entirely new and different one with Cyd.

The Real-Life Jeffersons.

Here's an interesting study, folks. According to the IRS, 58% of the people categorized as lower class (economically) in 1996 had, by 2005, achieved a higher economic strata - 5% actually moving all the way to upper class....How surprising is that, huh? I mean, if you listen strictly to progressives and/or had had your your teeth purely on stuff from C.Wright Mills, etc., you'd have probably thought that the United States was even more stratified than India..........................................................................................Of course, this isn't to say that the argument is any way, shape, or form, settled. The progressives can always say that the only way that these people were able to progress at all was because of the safety-net that had no doubt helped them when they were down - this, as opposed to conservatives, who would probably attribute the results more to welfare reform. But you know what, folks, I would much rather have the two sides arguing over who gets credit for something than blaming each other for the bad stuff....................................................................................................P.S. Granted, being that this study ends in 2005 (three years prior to the economic collapse), it is at least somewhat limited. Still, though, I did find it encouraging.

Bill the Plumber

O'Reilly continues unimpeded a simpleton. I mean, just take a gander at some of those poll questions of his. One of them was actually, so, "Do you think that America is a fair and just place?"...And, yes, folks, the frigging fact that he so literally believes there to be a readily discernible yes-no response to this crap. THAT'S what really gets me. Oh, and, get this - he followed up that little query with this one; so, "Do you think that President Obama thinks that America is a kind and just place?" Simplistic in its angularity, that dandy................................................................................................P.S. Needless to say, folks, the responders to Mr. O'Reilly's questions gave a much higher affirmative rate to the former question. They, very much identical to their mentor/hero, are predictable.

My Favorite Ricky Gervais Joke From the Golden Globes

"I've never seen so much air-brushing in my life.......Girls (he's referring here to the female cast members from "Sex and the City"), come on. We know how old you are.......I saw one of them on a 'Bonanza' episode."

Note to Donald Trump 3

Word about town is that you, Donald Trump, have an excellent relationship with "the blacks"....It's true, huh? Yeah, well, guess what, I have a friend who just happens to be one of those blacks, and HE....has always had an excellent relationship with "the idiots". Hm, I should probably fix the two of you up some time, huh?......................................................................................................Oh, and, just for the record, he was once in favor of universal health-care and a millionaire's tax, too. AND, he was pro-choice. Lots in common, the two of you!

Note to Lawrence O'Donnell 1

Dude, while I've generally agreed with you on this whole Donald Trump fiasco; the fact that Mr. Trump has acted disgracefully and that he is undoubtedly lying (this whole thing about him conducting an investigation is total BS), I have to tell you here, you yourself may have stepped over the line last night................................................................................................Yeah, I'm referring to your insinuation that Mr. Trump is acting out of academic jealousy, that Mr. Trump indeed may have applied to the President's alma maters (Columbia and Harvard) and that he was rejected by them. Apart from your having presented absolutely zero evidence for this "theory", you've also taken an absolutely unwarranted dig at the University of Pennsylvania. Perhaps you didn't know this, Mr. O'Donnell, but the University of Pennsylvania, as well as its law school, have consistently been ranked in the top 5-10 in the United States. AND, the Wharton School of Business, that part of Penn in which Mr. Trump attended, was recently ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the NUMBER ONE undergraduate business school in the country (their graduate program was #3).....................................................................................................Look, Mr. O'Donnell, I get it. After everything that Mr. Trump has done, it really is kind of hard to say that he himself is owed any sort of apology. But, I do think that you owe the University of Pennsylvania and it's many fine graduates (go to Wikipedia and scroll down to notable alumni - I think that you'll be impressed) a big apology. As is almost always the case with folks like you (i.e., partisan talking heads), you've taken it perhaps a bit too far.

Ann Miller, Folks

The greatest female tap-dancer ever (apologies to Eleanor Powell), and the hottest girlie this side of Cyd Charisse. She probably should have come with a warning-label, frankly.

Note to Donald Trump 2

Dude, I see that you've gotten yourself into yet another little tiff - this one with actor, Robert DeNiro. He criticized you on your use of the birther issue and YOU, as you always seem to to people who criticize you, basically called HIM an idiot. Now, don't get me wrong here. Being that I've never met Mr. DeNiro, I can't really say whether he's a smart guy or not. But, I'll tell you something here/place a wager. I'll bet you that Mr. DeNiro knew that privacy was the rationale for Roe vs. Wade....So, what do you say - five bucks?...No, no, wait a minute - one week's salary! I like that one better.

Conventional Thinking - Possibly Wrong Again

There are basically two main theories as to how "we" got out of the Depression; 1) that the New Deal got us out and 2) that the second world war got us out. I've already addressed the first article of faith in a previous post (concluding that the New Deal was essentially a wash). In this one, I'll examine the latter................................................................................................To those who argue that WW2 got us out of the Depression, these people generally point to the significantly lower unemployment rate and the historic expansion of GDP (they also argue that this is proof-positive that Keynesian economics works). Rather than the New Deal programs (which a lot of these individuals actually saw as too anemic), these people say that it was the amped up production necessitated by the war that finally got the economy moving............................................................................................Of course, what these folks refrain from telling us is that a lot of that reduction in unemployment came from a huge increase in the number of people serving in the military. It was largely this military build-up, and not an expansion of economic activity (not that that wasn't a factor at all, mind you; the manufacturing of weaponry, etc.), that sharply reduced the unemployment rate...............................................................................................There were also other factors indicative of a non-recovering economy. 1) The production of non-durable civilian goods significantly decreased. 2) Consumption itself fell. 3) Rationing increased and increased sharply. 4) Income taxes went up FOR EVERYBODY. 5) Investment spending decreased. 6) Price controls continued and, more than likely, hid significant inflation..............................................................................................So, if the New Deal didn't get us out the Depression, and the second world war didn't get us out of the Depression, what ultimately did. According to a lot of these so-called revisionist historians, the U.S. market didn't really come back to life until AFTER the war. President Truman and the Congress a) lifted price controls and b) peeled back even further on trade tariffs. Rationing ended and a freer economic landscape emerged. Probably, though, the most important factor of all was simply the stark difference between Truman and Roosevelt. While the latter was constantly raising taxes (and/or threatening to), badmouthing the business community, etc., the former put forth a significantly more positive approach....I think that we all know the importance of that these days.

Suggestions From a Layman on Deficit Reduction

1) Secretary Gates has underscored 20 billion dollars worth of yearly cuts in the defense department. Take 'em. 2) Eliminate ethanol subsidies - net savings, 7 billion. 3) Reduce foreign aid by a total of 20% - net savings, 10 billion. 4) Obama's proposal to freeze the wages of Federal workers will save 6 billion a year for the next 10 years. Take it. 5) Reduce the other farm subsidies by 20% - net savings, 6 billion (the balance so far is 49 billion). 6) Cap the mortgage interest deduction at $500,000. The savings from this (conservatively) would be about 40 billion a year. 7) Raise the top tax rates (back to 39.6%) for people making $500,000 a year. This would generate (again, conservatively) 30 billion a year in additional revenue. 8) Have the Federal government negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies on prices for Medicare and Medicaid. This could save somewhere between 15-25 billion a year (let's say 20). 9) Slowly disengage from Afghanistan. Right now we're spending 100 billion a year there. By scaling back to more of an anti-terror policy, we could probably reduce the cost (again, conservatively) of that venture by a good 20 billion. 10) Cut off all funding to NPR - net savings, 500 million. 11) Privatize Amtrak - net savings, 1 billion. 11) Eliminate the Small Business Administration (from what I can gather, their track record is lousy) - net savings, 500 million. 12) Cut the Department of Energy's research and subsidies program (the government is horrible at picking winners/losers) by at least 2 billion. 13) Eliminate earmarks and REMOVE these amounts from the appropriations - net savings, 11 billion off of the 2010 budget. 14) There are somewhere between 700-800 U.S. military bases worldwide. Can we conceivably close at least some of them? Net savings, I have no idea. I'm thinking, though, at least 10 billion........................................................................................There, I just reduced the deficit by 183 billion dollars. And I don't even know what I'm doing here. Can you even begin to imagine what a learned/bolder person could come up with?

Miscellaneous 68

1) Can somebody please explain to me why Syria is even being considered for a place on The U.N. Human Rights Council (they're apparently looking to replace the recently ousted co-piranha, Libya)? I mean, I'm fully cognizant of the fact that every nation has its flaws and all but, please/come on here! This situation is absolutely ridiculous. Hell, you might as well just place Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, and Pol Pot there in absentia, for Christ!............2) I'll bet that if you took a poll of all the living (and, yes, sentient) graduates of Penn and asked them, "So, do you think that President Obama was born in America?", I'll bet that the number would be over 99%. And, you know what esle here, people, I'll bet that Donald Trump would be a part of that 99%. The only difference with him would be the fact that you'd probably have to have him on sodium pentathol in order to get him to answer - truthfully, I'm saying.............3) The fact that Ann Miller always had to play second fiddle to Kathryn Grayson is something that will probably always bother me. I mean, don't get me wrong here. The latter was indeed a fine singer (though, yes, a little too shrill for me), pretty enough girl, etc.. No major knock on her at all. But, come on here. Ann Miller was probably the finest female tap dancer ever (sorry Eleanor Powell fans - but it's true!). She was also a fine comedic actress, a boffo singer in her own right, and dang beautiful. And next to Cyd Charisse, she probably had the best frigging body of the '50s (no offense to those who might in fact prefer a bustier frame)....Thank the Lord for fast-forward. That's the only thing that I gotta say.

Shear Purrrrrrrrfection

Cyd Charisse - the perfect synthesis of class, beauty, style, sex appeal, and talent. I simply cannot believe that she wasn't a bigger star.

A Response to Heathen Republican's Very Fine Piece, "Seven Progressive Principles"

Being that I'm neither a Progressive nor a Conservative, one could readily argue here that any contributions of mine are potentially superfluous. But, hey, why in the hell not, right?...................................................................................................In terms of the death penalty, yes, I presently oppose it - not, mind you, because I think that a society doesn't have the right, collectively, to impose it. Not at all. My opposition to it centers instead around a) the unequal application of it (minorities and poor people being disproportionately singled out) and b) the fact that innocent people may in fact be unjustly killed. In my mind, unless there is an absolute and unimpeachable proof that the person committed said crime, the death penalty should not be on the table (yes, a life sentence is harsh, too, but at least there exists a possibility that the person could someday be exonerated).....................................................................................................As far as war (and the killing associated with it) goes, this I find to be even less conducive to demarcation. I mean, certainly, the conservatives (mostly in the form of the neoconservatives) have in fact been far more hawkish over the past 10 years or so. But historically, it is far, far, murkier. Take LBJ, for example. Certainly nobody can doubt this fellow's progressive credentials (the Great Society, Civil Rights, etc.). And, yet, this same individual got (lied, actually) us into Vietnam at a cost of nearly 30,000 dead (just the tally during his tenure) American kids. Contrast this with Ike (granted, not necessarily a conservative by today's standards) who largely kept us out of foreign entanglements (Vietnam, the Suez)................................................................................................And even today, folks, the distinctions remain just as cloudy. President Obama himself, for instance, has a) surged in Afghanistan, b) increased drone attacks in Pakistan, and c) gotten us involved in the Libyan shit-fest. This, me-buckos, while, at the same time, traditional conservatives like George F. Will preach for restraint/measure. It is absolutely crazy, I'm telling you.

Miscellaneous 67

1) We need a new party; a third party and/or a complete and total overhaul of one of the existing parties. And, yes, I want it to be a party that doesn't constantly feel the need to conflate such wildly discrepant topics as "card check" (which I vociferously oppose) and gay marriage (which I vociferously support), drilling in the ANWR (I'm open to it) and abortion (I'm strongly pro-choice), etc.. Enough already with the laundry-lists/blue-plate specials.............2) Imagine being part of a legislature SO EXTREME that even a Jan Brewer would veto your bills. I mean, wouldn't that be embarrassing? Yeah, well, that's exactly what happened this week in Arizona. The normally reliable tea party governor of that state vetoed a) some idiotic birther bill and b) a right to "carry" on college campuses bill. It seems that even she couldn't get behind this bullcrap. And good for her, I say. Good for frigging her.............3) To all of those people who claim that they've never met a birther, my response to that would be BOOM, "you just haven't been looking hard enough." I say this, folks, in that, yes, according to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, a grand total of 47% of all Republicans say that they don't think that the President was born in America (now, to be fair, maybe some of them aren't aware that Hawaii is actually part of America). That's almost half. So, yeah, keep looking, I guess would be my advice to them.

Note to Donald Trump 1

Dude, why don't you just go back to bitch-slapping Rosie O'Donnell? That was at least fun/amusing (this, as opposed to what you're doing now, I'm saying). And, yes, me-bucko, you'll still get the publicity, too. Win-win!!

Miscellaneous 66

1) Mr. Trump is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business - which technically, folks, makes him an Ivy Leaguer. I ask you, though, have you ever seen a more ill informed member of that contingent? I mean, yes, he obviously knows business and all but, damn, on some of that other stuff it's frightening, his ignorance. For instance, when Savannah Guthrie asked him if he thought that there was a right to privacy in the Constitution, he responded, "Yeah, I guess so." And then when she tried to tie that concept to abortion, he questioned her on it, "So, what does that have to do with abortion?" The frigging guy didn't even know that Roe vs. Wade had been decided on that issue. Youza, huh?............2) You know who I think would be an excellent Democratic President? Ed Rendell. I really and truly like that guy. a) He has a lot of common sense. And b) he also has an uncanny ability to compromise (this, while, at the same time, retaining core principles). Take, for instance, his view on taxing the rich. Instead of focusing strictly on this arbitrary number of $250,000, he's willing to up that threshold to as far as a million. And on reforming Medicare and Medicaid, I really like his position on the Federal government being able to negotiate with drug companies on prices. From what I can gather, folks, this one act alone could save the government tens of billions of dollars a year....He's a problem solver, I guess is what I'm saying.............3) Celtics 96 Knicks 93. So, how do you like me now, Spike Lee!!!!!?............4) Yeah, yeah, I know, the series isn't nearly over and, yes, the Knicks could definitely still rally and win it. But it's just that I'm really starting to get a little weary of Mr. Lee and his antics. I mean, yeah, it was amusing 15-16 years ago (his back and forth with Indiana's Reggie Miller, especially) but, enough already!

Charlie Sheen Running For President?

Wow. Now THAT is what I'm talkin' 'bout!

From the U.S. Treasury

Here are the numbers, folks. Interpret them however you wish. But, yes/rest assured, these in fact ARE the numbers. a) In 1998, the public debt went down 55.8 billion. b) In 1999, it went down 97.8 billion. c) In 2000, it went down 230.8 billion. d) And in 2001, it went down 66.0 billion.............e) In 1998, intergovernmental holdings went up 168.9 billion. f) In 1999, they went up 227.8 billion. g) In 2000, they went up 248.7 billion. h) And in 2001, they went up 199.3 billion.............i) In 1998, the TOTAL national debt went up 113.0 billion. j) In 1999, it went up 130.1 billion. k) In 2000, it went up 17.9 billion. l) And in 2001, it went up 133.3 billion...............................................................................................There....So, did we (i.e., Clinton and the Republican Congress) run a surplus for those four straight years? Or was it a deficit? I don't know. I guess, folks, that it all depends on what your definition of surplus/is is..................................................................................................P.S. As far as that Politifact article which seems to support the belief that Clinton in fact did run surpluses, it was incomplete. Yes, it acknowledges the fact that some of the surplus came from Social Security borrowing. BUT, it also fails to note that there were many OTHER trust funds that government raided during those years; the Unemployment Trust, the Civil Service Retirement Trust, various transportation trusts, etc.. Those also contributed to the TOTAL national debt....Just for clarification, folks.

Goliath's Ankles

What I know about basketball, the Xs and Os of it, you could easily fit on the head of a pin. In fact, folks, if I were the coach of a team, any wins that that team accrued would clearly be IN SPITE of me. But I'm also telling you here, even I, this fellow, is smart enough not to put a big guy on a point guard at the top of the key..........................................................................................................I mean, seriously, have you seen some of those mismatches this season? Earlier this year, I saw the 7-foot Laker, Pau Gasol, trying to guard Steve Nash. It was pathetic. Frigging Nash, even at this advanced stage of his career, practically broke the big Spaniard's ankles, for Christ. And I saw something very similar last night with Chris Paul. He made another big guy look absolutely foolish out there. And you know what else, folks - this frigging guy was a Laker, too. It's like, what, Coach Phil Jackson like to make his bigs look like lumbering fools every once in a while?...................................................................................................P.S. Yeah, yeah, I know, the fellow's won 11 championships but, PLEASE - Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, Gasol, etc.. My God, even I could have gotten a couple with those guns.

Ricardo Montalban

What would be my answer to the question, "So, who, in your opinion, is the most underrated dancer in the history of film?"......................................................................................Oh, and for all of you who think that I'm kidding here/who only know him for his fine Corinthian leather and "Fantasy Island", please, do yourself a favor, go to Youtube and check him out. Of course, the fact that you'll also be able to check out Cyd Charisse simultaneously (his partner for a lot of those classic numbers) - just consider that little ditty a bonus.

To Cover or Not to Cover?

And how in the hell is the media supposed to treat this Trump fellow? Do they cover him and his antics or not? I mean, on the one hand he's obviously a narcissist/bullshitter. BUT, he's also a narcissist/bullshitter who's polling at 21% (higher than Huckabee, Romney, Palin, etc.). You almost have to cover the son of a bitch!............................................................................................Speaking of which, the dude was on Candy Crowley's CNN show today. I wasn't able to watch it because I had to work. But, yeah, you can be totally rest assured that I'll be scoping it out on Youtube ASAP. Here, folks, is to hoping that the misogynist lunatic didn't roll her. You know, the way that he boorishly did so to poor Meredith Viera?..................................................................................................Seriously, though, can he see him as President/trying to fire a Congressman?

The Conversion is NOW Complete

It's apparently not enough for Mr. Trump that he shamelessly/moronically exploit this whole birther issue. Ditto, people, his massive, long and tiring litany of flip-flops; abortion, universal health-care, etc.. He has to compound it all by doing what I basically consider to be unpardonable. Yeah, that's tight, folks, Mr. Trump went on "Hannity". And not only did he go on "Hannity", he practically gave the asshole a blow-job, for Christ; telling him just how much that he "loved his program", yada yada. He even went as far as to out-Hannity Hannity; saying that President Obama was the worst president in United States history (it's like, what, they don't teach you about President Buchanan at Wharton Business School?). I'm telling you here, folks, if this Trump character goes significantly lower than this, he's going to be subterranean.

Commercial Venture?

Donald Trump is supposedly this big billionaire. Which leads me to ask, why in the hell is he doing network television? I mean, I personally can only think of two possible reasons. a) He's basically an attention-seeking media whore. Or b) he isn't anywhere as rich as he wants us to think that he is. Either way, folks, it doesn't say very much good about him, now does it?

In Mr. Maher's Own Words

1) "I've said it many times. If Muslim men could get laid more, we we wouldn't have this problem There's probably no suicide bomber who, after he died, people said, 'You know, that guy, he blew himself up, but boy - he got laid a lot.'".............2) "All this talk about the people who burned the Koran and nothing about the people who reacted in such a STUPID (my emphasis) way. We're always blaming the victim and not holding, not most Muslims, but at least a large part of the Muslim community that doesn't condemn their people. What it comes down to is that there is ONE (again, my emphasis) religion in the world that kills you when you disagree with them. They say, 'Look, we're a religion of peace and if you disagree we'll cut your effing (sanitized) head off.' And nobody calls them on it, or there are very few people who call them on it."........................................................................................................I may be wrong here, folks, but, in my opinion, if a conservative had made these comments (the second of which, yes, I basically agree with), people like Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz would be going apoplectic. BUT, because it was Bill Maher who said them - NOTHING! So much frigging so for sound principled commentary, huh?

Rarely in the Black

Here's an interesting statistic, folks. Over the past 72 years (1940-2011), the Federal government has only run a budget surplus during 12 of those years. The other 60 of those years it ran a deficit. But what was really amazing was discovering (rediscovering, actually) that 4 out of those 12 years actually occurred during the Clinton/Gingrich reign (it kinda makes me wonder why Mr. Gingrich was so damn frigging hellbent on impeaching good old bubba - well, I mean, other than, you know......): 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 (Bush's year but Bill Clinton's budget) - at a time of divided government, in other words................................................................................................And, let's see, what is it that we have now, people? Oh, yeah, more divided government! Now, granted, Mr. Gingrich didn't constantly have the tea party to deal with and everything but, still, IT HAPPENED - who in the hell says that it can't happen again? I mean, no/maybe?

Miscellaneous 65

1) I did a recent search for "Democratic plan to save Medicare". I couldn't find anything.......Look, folks, I agree, Mr. Ryan's new plan is exceedingly problematic. But at least the man has a plan. AND, in my opinion, the only way that we're truly going to be able to solve this health-care mess, in general, and Medicare, specifically, PERIOD, is to utilize the good ideas from both parties - in this instance, competition AND appropriate oversight. Again, I refer you all to Dr. Ezekial Emanuel's (yes, he's Rham's brother) excellent book/blueprint, "Healthcare, Guaranteed". He lays the whole thing out exceedingly well, I think.............2) Laura Ingraham was substituting for O'Reilly again. Holy shit, is she ever obnoxious. First of all, folks, the chick doesn't let anybody else talk. She knows EVERYTHING, end of discussion. I mean, just take tonight, for instance. She had this rich successful businessman on and he was arguing for the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy to expire. And he wasn't a damned flaming liberal, either. This, in that the guy was arguing just as vociferously for budget cuts. But, nope, Ms. Ingraham didn't want to hear any of it. We can totally balance the budget with spending-cuts - PERIOD!...Oh, and, yeah, Mr. Obama is always wrong. Let us not forget about that little song and dance, either. ALWAYS WRONG!!............3) Here's a good one, folks. According to OMB, the 38.5 billion dollars worth of spending cuts, it's only actually 352 million. Yeah, that's right. Much of the proposed savings actually come from rescissions (funds previously authorized but not spent) and reserve funds. And (and, yes, this is where it gets really good), if in fact you include emergency spending, the 2011 budget is actually 3.3 billion dollars BIGGER than the 2010 budget. Youza, does it ever suck to be a politician these days, huh?............4) Not that these rescissions and reserve funds wouldn't have eventually been spent, mind you. But, still, the courage - WHERE?

Gee, What a Surprise!!!

What was my initial response to hearing that Iran was assisting Syria in it's crackdown of pro-Democracy protesters?

Attention: Rachel Maddow

1) Look, lady, I get it. The sole function of that show of yours is to eviscerate Republicans. You could even say that I agree with you on occasion. But, come on, don't you think that at some point during that long love-fest, er, I mean, interview, with Bill Maher, you could have brought up some of those rather inflammatory comments of his on Islam. I mean, you do in fact care about that subject, right?...You used to - you know, whenever a frigging conservative "does it"!............2) I've also noticed that you're touting, yet again, that "running deficits during a weak recovery is good" mantra. It never, EVER, gets stale, does it? And, again, I do in fact get it here, Keynesian economics, yada yada. But, really, I also have to ask you, Ms. Maddow - $1,600,000,000 deficits....aren't ENOUGH stimulation? I mean, I know that it's all relative and all but, PLEASE!!!............3) And what about President Obama's flip-flops on Gitmo and Military tribunals? You don't seem to have a hell of a lot of interest in that "conversation" lately, either....Hm, what' up?

The Hamidian Massacres of 1895

The CONSERVATIVE estimate here, folks, is that approximately 100,000 Armenians were obliterated that year by the Turks. And, as hard as it is to believe, that was only the damned frigging prelude. Twenty years subsequent - that was when the "mega slaughter" (upwards of a million killed) started....And to think, the Turkish government (more than a hundred years later now) STILL refuses to use the word, genocide. Unbe-frigging-lievable.

Ranking the Fox News Hotties

Please, keep in mind, this is only MY opinion.......10) Shannon Bream ...9) Patti Ann Browne ...8) Jenna Lee ...7) Margaret Hoover ...6) Molly Line ...5) Megyn Kelly (yes, she's a motor-mouth - ask me if I care) ...4) Julie Banderas ...3) Martha MacCallum ...2) Harris Faulkner ...1) Alisyn Camerota.........................................................................................P.S. I guess that if you wanted to include former employees, Linda Vester and the recently retired Jane Skinner would also have to get some consideration. That, and I've probably forgotten other folks.

The National Debt as a Percentage of GDP

On this topic, folks, I have some bad news, good news, and bad news. The first bad news is that the present figure (national debt as a percentage of GDP) of 93% is the highest that it's been since the post WW2 years of 1945, 1946, and 1947 - this, when the percentage of debt to GDP was a staggering 117%, 122%, and 105%. The good news is that, yes, the country showed a overwhelming capacity/will to reverse this trend. This, I'm saying, in that all throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s, the percentage moved steadily downward (bottoming out at 32% in the late 70s).....................................................................................................The question is (and, yes, here's where the second piece of bad news enters), does this nation still in fact have this capacity? I really do have to wonder. a) We continue to fight in questionable wars overseas. b) We continue to waste massive amounts of money on the domestic front (that recent report from GAO on duplication was chilling). c) We continue to under-tax the country's very wealthy (allowing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy to continue is costing the treasury up to 70 billion a year). d) The rest of the world is catching up and we just flat-out ain't competing.....................................................................................................Hopefully, folks, the country will end up rallying from this/much more closely resemble Germany (economically, I'm saying) than Greece. The next 20 years or so are critical - obviously.

Declare Victory and Govern

As an independent who generally doesn't have a dog in these fights, my strong preference is to not pick sides in them. But, I do have to tell you here, in this current budget stalemate/mess down in DC, the Republicans (in my opinion) are definitely much more to blame. I mean, I know that the Democrats had a chance to pass a budget bill last year and that they didn't, etc., but currently, as we're speaking, the tea party wing of the Republican Party is just flat-out not acting responsibly............................................................................................... a) The Democrats have apparently already met the Republicans more than half-way (full-way, if you strictly go by Boehner). And b) The Republicans themselves have acted recalcitrantly by gunking up this entire process with B.S, irrelevant riders, etc.. Yes, folks, I know, the Republicans were elected to cut spending, reduce the size of government, etc.. I get it. But they were also elected to govern, damn it. Compromise - it isn't always a dirty word..................................................................................................P.S. And the fact that one of these "riders" completely dismantles Planned Parenthood, one of the very few entries still available for poor woman's health-care....When, me-buckos, was THAT part and parcel to the tea party agenda?

Trumping Himself?

In my opinion, folks, the Donald Trump of even three years ago would be disgusted at what the present-day replica is saying. I say this, in that, while, yes, maybe he always has been a douche, misogynistic, egomaniacal, etc., at least in the political sphere he always seemed reasonable (pro-choice, anti-Iraq War, moderate on the economy, etc.)......................................................................................................And so, then, what in the hell is he doing here? Birtherism!! I mean, the most obvious explanation is that Mr. Trump is seeking (additional) publicity (he certainly isn't running for President). But, come on. Is this really the type of publicity that he wants? I certainly can't see it helping his ratings AT ALL. NOT EVEN......for "The Celebrity Apprentice".

Frank(lin)ly Speaking

I have these two colleagues; one who thinks that FDR was the greatest President ever, another who thinks that he was the worst. Needless to say here, folks, my opinion resides somewhere in the middle............................................................................................First the good. 1) Mr Roosevelt was a great and inspirational leader who helped manage the country through two of its most challenging episodes; the Great Depression and WW2. 2) Certain of his early decisions in fact DID stop the "bleeding". His Reciprocal Trade Agreement helped negotiate tariffs downward. He made some rock solid appointments to the Federal Reserve (individuals not necessarily hellbent on lowering interest rates). His national bank holiday halted the panic and eliminated thousands of unnecessary withdrawals. The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 insured deposits up to $2,500 and gave millions of individuals piece of mind. And the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 increased safety requirements for stock-trading companies and steadied the market. 3) His wife, Eleanor, was an extraordinary first-lady whose tireless work for those less fortunate was, and continues to be, the gold-standard..................................................................................................Now the bad. 1) Mr. Roosevelt often had a hard time telling the truth. He lied to the press. He lied to Congress. He lied to his staff. And he lied to the American people (telling the public that his court-packing scheme had to do with "efficiency" - this, when basically everybody knew that it had to do with ideology). 2) He also had a dictatorial impulse. His court-packing scheme, the internment of Japanese-Americans, his utilization of the IRS as a weapon against critics/adversaries - these were all very troubling. 3) While some of his policies were effective, others in fact may have retarded economic recovery. His reliance on excise taxes (an extremely regressive form of taxation) clearly took a lot of money (and, hence, demand) out of the economy. The NRA (which was eventually voted down by the Supreme Court, 9-0), which allowed for collusion and price-fixing by American industries, ended up hurting a lot of businesses (many of them small ones). The Agricultural Adjustment Act (which paid a lot of farmers NOT to produce) eventually turned the U.S. into a food-IMPORTING nation. And the WPA, a cynosure of the New Deal, was itself fraught with waste, inefficiency, and political manipulation (people being denied jobs due to their political views)..................................................................................................Overall, folks, I'd probably give Mr. Roosevelt the same grade that I gave Mr. Reagan, a B- (overrated, but not necessarily as wretched as his critics paint him out to be)....................................................................................................P.S. For those of you who think that my criticism of Mr. Roosevelt was perhaps too harsh, let me point out to you that none other than John Maynard Keynes HIMSELF (in a New York Times piece) stated that the NRA would probably "impede the recovery". I'd also like to point out the fact that the National Recovery Review Board said that the codes probably "spurred the exit of small enterprises and led to the always growing autocracy of the greater corporations."

Miscellaneous 64

1) John Bon Jovi owns 7 acres of some of the most expensive land in America. You know how much in property taxes that he paid on it last year? Can you say $104? Yeah, that's right, folks, $104. It seems that New Jersey has some archaic law which states that if you own some land and farm on it, you're entitled to some ridiculous/humongous property tax deduction. And what makes it even worse is the fact you only need to sell $500 worth of goods to qualify for it. What does Mr. Bon Jovi raise on his particular "farm"? Honey bees!............2) Bruce Springsteen owns one of these "farms", too. His, though, is organic. BRUUUUUUUUUUCE!!............3) What's this, folks, Vin Diesel and "The Rock" in a movie together? Am I safe to assume that the script isn't Chekhov?............4) And how 'bout 'dem Butler Bulldogs - two consecutive trips to the NCAA finals - and from the Horizon League, no less!! Take that, frigging power conferences.

An Interesting Stat

The progressives have gotten a lot of mileage out of the fact that both the Democrats and Republicans have included some anti-poverty programs among their budget cuts. And, while, yes, it is an effective talking point ("they're balancing the budget on the backs of the poor", etc.), a little bit of scrutiny does in fact reveal hyperbole. Like, for instance, DID YOU KNOW that anti-poverty spending (this according to OMB) has actually outstripped inflation by a total of 89% over the past ten years (i.e., the Bush-Obama years). Rather than the poor being screwed (or at least completely screwed - yes, I know, wages have decreased also), the government has actually been quite generous in its outlays. Now, does this necessarily justify the cuts that those in Washington are currently advocating? Perhaps not. But at least it gives us some perspective..................................................................................................P.S. Here are some additional numbers. In 1979 (the Carter administration), Federal anti-poverty programs took up a scant 1.8% of the GDP. In 2010, that number had more than doubled to to 4.4% (add another 2% in state and local spending). Add to that the fact that Federal spending on K-12 education has increased by a whopping 219% (beyond inflation) and, yeah, it may not be the most unreasonable thing in the world to take a breather on some of this stuff - a billion or two here and there, I'm saying.

Chuck Hagel

What would be my answer to the question, "So, who do you think that President Obama should nominate to replace Robert Gates at the defense department, once the latter decides to step down?"..................................................................................................P.S. Another excellent selection would clearly be Joe Sestak (his military experience, strategic thinking, etc.). I'm just not entirely sure how well that that would play "down there"; that whole controversy about the job offer, etc..

Mousa Kousa?

Seriously, folks, THAT'S HIS NAME? Oh well, at least he'll no doubt get along with some of my chums; Roswell Boswell, Horace and Deloris Morris (and their son, Boris), Wayne, Duane, and Blaine Swain (the Swain brothers), Lloyd and Floyd Boyd (the Boyd brothers), Kyle and Lyle Pyle (the Pyle brothers), Bradley Hadley, (Snortin') Morton Horton, Milton Hilton, Terry, Larry, Mary, Jerry, Cary, Harry, Barry, Sherrie, and Gary Berry (the Berry clan - Barry Berry obviously got teased the most of 'em), Kent and Brent Dent (the Dent brothers), Gordon Jordan, Jordan Gordon, Jason Mason, Mason Jason, Mickey and Dicky Hickey (same-sex marriage, Connecticut style), Moe and Joe Poe (ditto), Mike and Ike Pike (unrelated - though, yes, they've obviously bonded), Janet Planet (Van Morrison's first wife - HOT, at least in 1971), Dirk and Kirk Burke (brothers AND jerks, both of 'em), Bill, Phil, and Jill Hill (all unrelated), Clyde Hyde, Lester and Esther Hester (and their son, Chester), Owen Bowen, Jade and Slade Wade, Clinton Hinton, Valerie Mallory, Fern Byrne, Rob Cobb, Wesley and Leslie Nestle (heirs to nothing), Dante Bronte (one of the not so famous Bronte brothers), Gale and Dale Hale, Bunny Tunney, Sally Talley, Drew and Hugh Pugh (the Pugh brothers), Mitch "the bitch" Fitch, Denny and Lenny Benny (the Benny brothers), Troy Koy, Paul Hall (a specialist in mall security), Mel and Del Bell (the Bell brothers), Jake and Drake Blake (the Blake brothers), Jake and Blake Drake (the Drake brothers), Barney Carney............